back to article Microsoft to open first flagship Store beyond North America

All the fun and excitement of Microsoft's wan clone of Apple Stores will soon be available beyond the United States for the first time, after the company announced it will open its first offshore store in Sydney, Australia. Microsoft's billing the store as a flagship not just for Australia but “a center piece of the Microsoft …

  1. Phil Kingston

    Good oh.

    But to bang the usual drum, what about some Australia launches for products at the same time as the US?

  2. largefile

    Keep on hating......

    The amount of Microsoft hatred on this rag never ceases to amaze. Keep on hating.... Microsoft will keep on moving forward. In case you haven't figured it out yet, things have changed in Redmond. New people, new energy, new direction.

    1. Dana W

      Re: Keep on hating......

      @ largefile Microsoft hating? Are you kidding? This place is full of Microsoft Fannbois. Its practically Redomond Love In. Try being an Apple fan here. Seriously, you guys can dish it out, but never can you take it.

      Microsoft is moving forward alright, into the places Apple AND Android have been for years.

      1. largefile

        Re: Keep on hating......

        You must think I'm referring to the comments that get posted. I'm referring to the "journalists" who write opinion infused anti Microsoft stories and try to pass them off as news.

      2. Trixr

        Re: Keep on hating......

        Get back to us when Apple have a server offering that's not worth pointing and laughing at.

        And a means of managing *enterprise* PCs, not the dozen or so in the Marketing dept and the execs' iPads. Sorry, but it's tricky to do serious number-crunching (with the usual tools used by businesses) on cute little tablets and phones.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Keep on hating......

      @LargeFile

      " New people, new energy, new direction"

      Yup, we got windows 8.....says it all really. And Windows 10 is just smoke and mirriors.

      If new means "poor effort and don't listen to the client" then why bother changing.

    3. Zane

      Re: Keep on hating......

      Hate Microsoft - why should we? They're a bit annoying, but in fact always good for a laugh. And it's pretty amazing that they can sell 15 year old technology as novelty on the market.

      The thing is: we are not using Microsoft. Because we need to get our work done.

      /Zane

    4. Kristian Walsh Silver badge

      Re: Keep on hating......

      You have to be new here, or you just haven't been paying attention... the only thing that The Reg's hack team "hates" is self-importance and bullshit. Marketing efforts, no matter who they stem from, fit both categories. (And you haven't been reading the Apple articles if you think that this article constitutes 'hatred'; the well-deserved derision that's regularly poured on Apple's ludicrous, hyperbolic claims makes this article look like a gentle ribbing)

      I continue to read The Reg precisely because it's the only one where every fanboy commenters accuse it of being biased against their pet manufacturer. Nobody writing for this site is suckling on Google's or Apple's or Microsoft's or FSF's teat.

    5. Destroy All Monsters Silver badge
      Trollface

      Re: Keep on hating......

      Microsoft will keep on moving forward. In case you haven't figured it out yet, things have changed in Redmond. New people, new energy, new direction.

      Sounds like the newly hired marketroids are hitting the comment section?

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Headmaster

    Eh, Oz does get dumped in the Asia/Pacific region in most multinationals

    I don't think that anyone back in Redmond is viewing this as a great moment in opening up the Chinese or Thai consumer markets. I'm pretty sure they are viewing this more on the "Pacific" side of APAC.

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Woz moved to Oz, who has M$oft got downunder?

    Maybe Paul Allen can set up base in Cairns looking for Coral Sea clunkers.

  5. Herby

    Still not very good.

    My observation of an Apple store that right across the mall from a Microsoft one was quite informative. The Microsoft store ALWAYS had more store personnel than customers, so I suppose you would get "personal service". The Apple store on the other hand had a long line out the door waiting to get in, and gobs of people inside looking (and buying as I observed) at product. I couldn't say as much for the Microsoft Store which was also trying to lasso customers in the mall proper (they were demoing a Kinnect[sp?] thing).

    All of this reinforced the fact that having AAPL stock is a "good thing".

  6. This post has been deleted by its author

  7. Fihart

    If we build it they will....

    ....(probably not) come.

  8. Jay 2

    When I was in Las Vegas last year I discovered that there was a Microsoft Store in the Fashion Show Mall. When I walked past it didn't look particularly busy (unlike most of the other shops), but it did appear to have at least one customer in there who looked like they were actually buying something. As stated above by Herby, there were a few Kinnect demo thingies dotted about in the mall to try and entice in more customers.

    I've always wondered what they sold in there (Xboxen, mice, retail OS?), but due to various pressures (aching feet, full belly, tired missus) I didn't venture in. Though in fairness the same excuses kept me out of the Apple Store too.

    As a quick aside, trying to find a non-Apple smartphone cover on The Strip (or the big mall just South) was near impossible. The missus had a new Moto X and was on the lookout for accessories.

  9. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Something about that photo made me think....

    "I'll have a McRosoft Surface with a large drive "....

    "Would you like McOffice with that sir?"

    "Pre-installed or download-key?"

  10. Youngone Silver badge

    Retail Observations

    From what I have observed of Tech companies' retail efforts in my own local mall, Samsung, Sony and most recently Huawei have all set up shop at various times with smiling young people staffing the place to demo the various goodies.

    They are always polite and friendly and have a passing knowledge of the capabilities of the items in stock.

    The issue seems to be that the items are priced at retail + 20% or so, and no-one is stupid enough to fall for that, so sales are slow (or non existent) and they close down soon enough.

  11. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Are they taking business advice from Ryanair?

    Your nearest Microsoft store is in Osaka South (Sydney)

  12. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Hilarious, yet pathetic

    Building that store next to the Apple store is totally that old Mac vs. PC Pizza ad

    Come eat me, I'm a delicious pizza!

  13. majorursa

    So sad..

    Really, can't they think of any new concept for themselves. It's just a plain copycat. How embarassing too.

POST COMMENT House rules

Not a member of The Register? Create a new account here.

  • Enter your comment

  • Add an icon

Anonymous cowards cannot choose their icon

Other stories you might like